aspic

UK: /ˈæspɪk/ US: /ˈæspɪk/ ,(as′pik)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

as•pic¹ /ˈæspɪk/   n. [uncountable]

1. Food a jelly made with meat or fish juice, or tomato juice and gelatin, chilled and used in molded dishes or as a topping.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

as•pic¹  (as′pik), n. 

1. Food a savory jelly usually made with meat or fish stock and gelatin, chilled and used as a garnish and coating for meats, seafoods, eggs, etc.
2. Food a similar jelly made with spiced tomato juice and gelatin, served as a salad.

• French; perh. so called because the form or color resembled those of an asp. See aspic²
• 1780–90

as•pic²  (as′pik), 

1. n. Obs. asp¹.

• Middle French, perh. = Old French asp(e) asp¹ + -ic, modeled on Middle French basilique basilisk
• 1520–30

as•pic³  (as′pik), n. 

1. Plant Biology See great lavender. 

• Medieval Latin spīcus spikenard, Latin: variant of spīca, spīcum spike²
• French; Old French espic
• 1595–1605

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

aspic / ˈæspɪk/ noun

1. a savoury jelly based on meat or fish stock, used as a relish or as a mould for meat, vegetables, etc

Etymology: 18th Century: from French: aspic (jelly), asp¹; variously explained as referring to its colour or coldness as compared to that of the snake

aspic / ˈæspɪk/ noun

1. an archaic word for asp1

Etymology: 17th Century: from French, from Old Provençal espic spike, from Latin spīca, head (of flower); compare spikenard